Free TV: Dead Like Me

Dead Like Me stars a girl named George — yes, you read that right — who’s a bitter slacker not really engaged in life. Within the first ten minutes of the pilot George gets killed by a meteoric space toilet. Mandy Patinkin (Princess Bride, True Colors, Law & Order) shows up and tells her about her new job: she’s now a grim reaper who removes the souls from those who are about to die before they die so that in the afterlife they are not eternally mangled disfigured messes.

When you first hear the premise of the Dead Like Me, it’s easy to think “that just sounds weird” or “why would anyone watch that?” That’s how I felt when I heard about it. It sounded kind of ridiculous, a little lame, and not worth my time.

I was, of course, dead wrong.

Dead Like Me explores life through the eyes of the dead. It’s a black comedy about regret, remorse, and embracing life. The grim reapers aren’t disembodied spirits, but rather people like you and me. They eat, sleep, figure out how to pay the rent, and in the middle of all this go and ferry away the souls of the dammed.

This show is truly endearing, charming, and a bit beautiful. It stays with you. As I write this I find myself with a heavy heart — but smiling. That’s what Dead Like Me is all about. You find yourself caring about these characters and in the end falling a little in love with them.

All of seasons one and two are available via Hulu, and a Dead Like Me movie went direct to DVD, which you can watch via Netflix Instant Watch.

Dead Like Me [Hulu]